Wildwood School

Founded in 1971 as a Kindergarten-Grade 6 primary school, Wildwood’s progressive educational philosophy has always been rooted in the notion—now supported by research—that the best academic and personal outcomes for students emerge in a climate of close, caring relationships between children and adults.

Wildwood expanded in 2000, adding grades 7-12. Now with a student body of 750, the school continues to innovate its student-centered approach—including 3 student-governed research and development institutes in its upper school, a world-renowned Advisory program providing pastoral care for its middle and upper school students, and a school-wide, standards-based assessment system that provides students with actionable feedback, rather than letter grades.

Representative

Steve Barrett

Director of Outreach, Wildwood Outreach Center

Steve Barrett is a career educator who directs the Wildwood Outreach Center—a professional development center housed at Wildwood School in Los Angeles, California. His work finds him coaching teachers and school leaders, both at workshops hosted at Wildwood School, and on the road, as a facilitator and consultant, sharing Wildwood’s essential practices at public and private schools around the country and around the world.

He comes to work prepared and knows the challenges well. Steve began 29-year career teaching history at large public high schools in Illinois. Mid-career, he headed west and entered the independent school world—taking on teaching and administrative positions at Sage Hill School in Newport Beach, California and at Wildwood School in Los Angeles.

Steve’s professional enthusiasms center around helping teachers better understand and accept that their focus should be on teaching children, not just teaching subjects. He strives to provide guidance to fellow educators in identifying their strengths and gaining insights into how they can grow into a practice that is more satisfying, both for themselves and their students.

Wildwood School

Representative

Steve Barrett

ABOUT THE ORGANIZER